# Tobacco "types" or "cuts"



## Pipe Organist (Sep 7, 2009)

I have noticed that there are some inconsistencies in the use of tobacco cut descriptions, and was hoping to gain some clarity on the subject.

Now's the time for the real kapnismological nerds to show their stuff!

Over at pipes2smoke.com we read the following descriptions:
FLAKE: Tobacco that has been pressed into a brick then cut into flat flakes that may vary in size. It must be rubbedout into smaller pieces before smoking. Generally flake tobaccos are cool burning and with a few exceptions ( Gawith Balkan Flake, Krumble Kake), are pure Virginia's.
RIBBON CUT: Tobacco that has been pressed then cut into long, thin ribbons. It is not as long or as fine as SHAG cut. Shag cut is very similar to cigarette tobacco in cut. This can be Virginia or Oriental.
CUBE CUT: Tobacco that has forced through a sieve, grate or chopped into small pieces that are often square. Typically, cube cuts are Burley tobacco.
CURLY: This is tobacco leaf spun into rope and sliced. It typically is very slow burning hence it is cool smoking. 
SHAG: Tobacco which has been very finely long cut. In Edwardian times it was considered an poor quality tobacco. Today, it is not. An example is McClellands Shag Cuts, Baker Street, 221 , etc. Most shags have a high proportion of Virginia in them as Virginia tobaccos have long leaves that allow this cut.
NAVY CUT: Originally the tobacco was favored by sailors. They would put it in a long thin canvas tube and twist it tight. When taken out it was a thick rope of tobacco that they could carry in their pocket. They could cut off a plug to chew or slice it to smoke in a pipe. Escudo, Three Nuns Slices and Bengal Slices are types of sliced plug. Normally it is a slow burning tobacco fitting with its sailing origins. Navy blends are often steeped in Rum as this what sailors used to to do*.*​
I find this list interesting, although it is problematic as many of these terms aren't consistently applied. For instance, over at tobaccoreviews.com many of the listed blends are described as "broken flake", and yet the appearance is more of a ribbon cut or, as Mac Baren calls them, "loose cut", a term I find a bit more useful than ribbon cut, especially when the tobacco appears to be in various lengths and sizes in the same blend. Perhaps "chopped" would describe the appearance more aptly.

Having smoked several of McClelland's Baker Street series, what they call "shag cut" really doesn't match the above description. While they are finely cut, the pieces aren't all that long, as the description implies. In fact, my experience is that the tobacco appears to be short, thin shavings rather than long thin strands.

Another oddity is the use of "broken flake" and "crumble cake". Is there a difference, and if so, what is it? Once again, I've noticed that the term "crumble cake" isn't used very often.

So, the question is, are some of these terms proprietary (roll cake, loose cut, etc.), and if not, is there a better source for clearer definitions?


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## NonNobis (May 25, 2010)

Thanks for asking that question - I had been wondering that myself as a relatively new pipe smoker. I look forward to reading the answer. I love how much I am learning from this forum.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Pipe Organist said:


> ...I've noticed that the term "crumble cake" isn't used very often.
> 
> So, the question is, are some of these terms proprietary (roll cake, loose cut, etc.), and if not, is there a better source for clearer definitions?


The trade name "Krumble Kake" has been around over 40-years, the maker says; before Krumble Kake that cut was called "cake" tobacco. Over time the trade name has became synonymous with the cut. A handful of other products by Esoterica (e.g., Penzance), C&D (Kajun Kake), Hermit (Nightwatch), etc. are referred to as both crumble cake and, in some listings, Crumble Cake. The use of the upper case "C" suggests a reuse of the Krumble Kake brand.

Or so I speculate. Unless someone knows better I think crumble cake should be called "cake." It's finer cuts pressed into blocks then sliced or cubed for sale.


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